


Mission From the Past

by WitherAndDecay



Series: Krexie Week 2021 [5]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Canon divergence and canon compliant, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, I think Douxie has a lot of mental health issues and I am not going to list them all, Krexie Week 2021, M/M, Paranoia, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, i think, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29341587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitherAndDecay/pseuds/WitherAndDecay
Summary: Day 7 - Free DayMaster Merlin had given him the mission centuries ago, however was not very clear in what to do. All Douxie knew for certain was that he was to wait for his Master to call on him. If he was going to do that, obviously it would be for the apprentice's help in stopping something. Perhaps that something was whatever this glowing being was, and whoever, or whatever, they were talking to.
Relationships: Hisirdoux "Douxie" Casperan/Krel Tarron
Series: Krexie Week 2021 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143503
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16
Collections: Krexie Week 2021





	Mission From the Past

**Author's Note:**

> In this, I want to try and explore mental health issues I believe Douxie to have. But you know, I'm probably going to fail (:

Watching over the town of Arcadia had gotten to him again. It was happening even more than it usually did, though Douxie doesn't exactly know, or care, why. He was just exhausted and all he really cared about at the current moment was going out to get some space. Time to himself, where he could clear his mind and not focus on his tasks. It was easy to say the years had grown more repetitive, and he was getting more and more tired of it. He wished more than anything that his time would finally come; Merlin would finally call on him.

Predictably, this was another day wasted on hoping. There was absolutely no signs of Merlin showing up any time soon. Douxie felt like it had to be any day now though. He kept a close eye on the Trollhunters, thinking maybe he was supposed to do that. He helped in any way he could, albeit from the shadows so as to not blow his cover until he had been summoned. 

And it was all getting to him more and more. Being the not-so-useful-apprentice-from-the-shadows. It weighed on him, a lot. Time passed, and it got heavier. He couldn't stop the thoughts that perhaps he wasn't even needed at all, and such like, from creeping up on him more often than he'd like. It was just so easy to think that after all the time it had been. Maybe Merlin doesn't need him at all and he's just wasted all these years waiting for nothing. 

So he came out into the forest which surrounded the town of Arcadia. Alone. He walked in deep until he found a small clearing. It felt quiet and peaceful here, so he sat by the nearest rock and tried to clear his mind. Douxie had not even tried meditating in quite some time and it was definitely more difficult than he remembered. There was distractions everywhere. Owls, crickets, leaves rustling, wings flapping around. He couldn't really focus on clearing his mind but at least the distractions were taking the bad thoughts away temporarily. 

What caused Douxie to actually open his eyes and glance all around him however, was a voice. He had walked out so far he was positive that no-one would be around. Yet there was a voice. Faint, but audible nonetheless. Douxie stopped trying to clear his mind and instead focused on the voice. What made it odd was that it sounded as there was only one voice. Like they were talking to themselves but also sounded like they were having an actual conversation. It could be anything, and it definitely had Douxie intrigued. 

Douxie got up, sneaking towards the shrubs nearest the direction of the voice. In his crouched position he couldn't see over the shrub, meaning maybe the other person couldn't see him. And maybe it was disrespectful to listen in to someone's conversation but Douxie couldn't help, or ignore, his piqued curiosity. He pokes his head up just enough that his eyes could see over the top of the thin twigs, and that was when he saw it. The bright blue glow reflecting off trees not very far ahead. It was moving. 

Even more interested now, Douxie stretches so he could get a better view. He hears the voice again, and now it clearly sounded like it belonged to a male. They also sounded irritated as they groaned, and then it was silent. Only their footsteps could be heard. Douxie just kept watching the blue reflection on the trees until a figure finally came into view. 

He let out a shocked gasp and ducks back down. "What was _that?_ " he whispers to himself. Douxie had to peak back up to take a look and make sure he wasn't just seeing things. His eyes instantly land on the glowing blue creature, and not knowing what it was he starts to feel fear. He had never seen anything like it in all his centuries and he really didn't know what to think.

All he really knew for sure is that this being certainly did not belong here. Whether they were a threat or not was yet to be discovered, and so Douxie decided to follow them. He continued to hide behind the shrubs, watching the blue glow, until it had passed him. He got up, quickly and quietly following behind.

The being stops and so Douxie quickly gets behind a tree. There's another groan before they say, "Are you _kidding_ me!?"

Worried, Douxie crouched and moved behind the tree a bit more. Whatever this being was up to, they didn't sound too pleased about it.

"Yes I'm sure it wasn't there!" They continue, definitely speaking to someone else. "You don't think I'm being thorough because it's dark?... Well why don't you come out here yourself..." 

Douxie looks back around the tree when he hears the voice fade, seeing that the being was walking away again. Not wanting to lose them, he swiftly started following them again. He needed to know exactly what was going on here, and if this was threat he believed he was supposed to be here to stop. 

Master Merlin had given him the mission centuries ago, however was not very clear in what to do. All Douxie knew for certain was that he was to wait for his Master to call on him. If he was going to do that, obviously it would be for the apprentice's help in stopping something. Perhaps that something was whatever this glowing being was, and whoever, or whatever, they were talking to. 

It was oh so typical of Douxie to end up stepping on a twig, making a loud snapping sound. He cursed himself internally while diving off to his left side to hide once again. Luckily he was protected by even more trees, thick ones, so maybe he had not been seen. Douxie wanted to take a look just to be sure, but he couldn't risk it. 

He concentrated on his hearing, waiting to hear the sounds of footsteps either fading or coming closer. There was more silence, then a muffled "I'm coming back now." Which was followed by rushed footsteps. 

"Fu- uzzbuckets," Douxie whispers, then gets up to see which direction the being had run off to. However, he could not see the blue glow anymore. Clearly they were fast, so Douxie ran in the direction he thought they went. He couldn't lose them. This could be so important!

Continuing to run for far too long, Douxie refused to believed he had actually managed to lose this thing. It was only when he tripped over his own feet that he gave up. He pushed himself up, sitting on the ground, panting heavily. What if that was it? His only chance to stop something potentially evil. There was always the possibility that this was nothing, just a simple harmless being. It was just the unknown of everything that was making Douxie think the worst of it.

If he was correct, and there was danger, he had just screwed up majorly. Master Merlin would be so disappointed in him for this and he would never earn his staff. All these centuries waiting- wasted. 

Douxie could not let it all go to waste. So he had lost them this time, but there can be more time. He'd just need to hunt, like he does with the little irate creatures that lurk around the Town. His panting slows, and he calms himself with reassurance. Everything would be just fine. 

Taking in one last deep gulp of air, Douxie gets to his feet. He rubs his eyes, feeling the sleep deprivation tugging on them. All the stress was causing him so much problems with sleep; he could barely even get three hours a night currently. His lack of sleep was in no way helping with his feelings of uselessness. Sometimes he even thinks that perhaps he has just been alive for too long. After he's completed his mystery mission, he would actually get to rest. He wouldn't need to deal with all the problems and hardships that life kept throwing at him, because what he was supposed to do would finally be done. 

Douxie shakes his head, shaking away the thoughts. He couldn't think like that, he had to stop it from happening. All he needed was some sleep, even if it was too difficult. Admittedly Douxie had thought about using a sleep spell on himself many times before. It was Archie who had convinced him against doing it, warning him about the consequences of doing so. Sometimes it did get so hard that Douxie could not care less about the memory loss- so long as he actually got a good night's sleep for once in a good few years.

Starting to walk back now, he wonders how he was going to tell Archie about this night. That he had accidentally found and managed to lose a potentially dangerous creature. Archie was never disappointed in Douxie, but he could not help the feeling of _'what if'_. Any day he could slip up too bad and have his best, and most trusted, friend be disappointed in him for his mistakes. 

"C'mon Douxie, cut it out," he mutters to himself. "Just need some rest..."

Finally out of the woods, he was able to make his way back home with ease. It didn't take too long, and the moment he was in and had the door locked, he flopped down onto the nearest sofa. He rests his head, face down, on a cushion, closing his eyes in an attempt to at least nap. He didn't care that he was still wearing his shoes, or even dressed for that matter. The wizard was too exhausted.

Unfortunately, he couldn't even rest for five minutes. Archie had come through, jumped up onto the sofa and sat next to Douxie. He kept nudging at Douxie with his paw, until he finally sat up to face him. His eyes were half-lidded, and his lips were tugged down into a sleepy frown. 

Archie immediately felt bad for bothering Douxie while he was in such a state, but the sofa was no place for him to be sleeping. "You really shouldn't sleep there, Douxie."

"I know... Jus' too tired to care," he shrugs, twisting in his place so his legs were now hanging over the end of the sofa and his feet were planted on the floor. 

"Maybe you should take some time off; you've been working yourself too hard lately."

Douxie shakes his head, "No, I can't. I have to keep doing what I can until Merlin calls on me- us."

"You'll be no good to him if you're all burnt out! He may not even appear for another century or two, we don't know," Archie tries to reason, getting up and sitting closer to Douxie.

"Exactly, we don't know. It could be any day now. I _feel_ like it will be."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I saw something today, Arch. It was... _strange_. Like it really didn't belong here," he says, reaching out his hand to pet his familiar. 

"Lots of things look strange like they don't belong here. You'll have to describe it a bit better."

"It looked humanoid. It was blue, and _glowed_. Definitely not from here. I just couldn't determine whether it was a threat or not so... I started following it," he starts explaining.

"Hmmm... And what did you find out?" Archie questions, trying to picture what this creature looked like.

"Yeah that's the thing... I _was_ following them but... I-I lost them." Douxie shut his eyes, afraid of the disappointment that would surely cross his familiars face. He wished he could shut his ears as well so he would not need to hear it in his tone either.

"And that's bothering you?"

"Of course! I just lost something that could be dangerous. I lost what could potentially be what Merlin needs our help with!" Douxie sighs, placing his head into his hands and screwing up his face. He felt so disappointed with _himself_ and could understand if everyone else would be too.

" _Potentially_ ," Archie points out. "We don't know what Merlin will need us for, and you don't know everything about what you saw."

"But what if-"

"-There will be more chances to gain more information. It could be nothing, you know. You'll just need to find out more."

Douxie thinks about it. He rubs his eyes when he feels his exhaustion tugging on them again, then looks down to Archie. "You're right. I'll just need to find 


End file.
